Screening News for the week of 11/5/18. Walmart could soon be facing a class action lawsuit for FCRA violations. Canada will pardon marijuana possession of 30 grams or less. A Florida mayor lies about her education.

Class Action Sought Against Walmart

Did Walmart violate the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), as well as California state laws, by failing to tell applicants that they would be running criminal history and credit checks on them? According to Topclassactions.com, three lead plaintiffs are urging a California court to certify a class of 5 million workers and job seekers. The proposed class alleges that not only were they not given proper notice about the background checks, but that the company actually hid the fact that they were accessing this information. They also allege the job application included confusing and extraneous information about state laws and was intentionally written in a convoluted way. The non-compliant applications were apparently used from 2012 to 2015. The lawsuit is seeking damages for current, former and prospective employees who were subject to the unauthorized background checks.

Canada Pardoning Pot Convictions

Canadians convicted of possessing small amounts of cannabis will get to wipe the slate clean now that the country has legalized the drug. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced that those who were charged with “simple possession” of 30 grams or less will be allowed to immediately apply for a pardon. They will not have to wait a specified period of time or pay a fee. Pardons will not be available for other drug convictions such as trafficking, because that is still illegal.

Resume Lies Come Back to Haunt Small Town Mayor

A Florida mayor barely managed to hang on to her job after her resume fraud was discovered. Mayor Mel Jurado of Temple Terrace quickly removed the “Dr.” in front of her name and all references to her Ph.D. once it was discovered she got her “degree” from a diploma mill. The Ph.D. was allegedly earned from LaSalle in Louisiana. Records show that this was an unaccredited correspondence school that was shut down in 1996 when the owner pleaded guilty to fraud. The mayor also claims to have a master’s degree in exercise physiology and sports medicine from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. That school claims the degree was never conferred. Jurado listed both on applications for at least two government positions. Dozens of people spoke at a City Council meeting demanding she step down, but the council voted 18-9 for her to stay.

About the Author

Jennifer Gladstone is a news anchor and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in front of the camera. She's worked in several markets, large and small, and has performed nearly every task needed in a newsroom. As EBI’s Screening News Editor, she keeps EBI’s customers and blog subscribers up to date on the latest screening news and legislative alerts affecting companies of all sizes.